The Perfect Date
by Thorkone
Summary: Anna is stuck going stag to her cousin's wedding after Jack dumped her. Or is she? One-Shot, Phil and Annie


I surveyed myself critically in the mirror. My mother had vetoed the little black dress I'd brought from DC with me, saying black wasn't appropriate at a summer wedding. Thankfully, Lizzie lived in Vancouver now, as opposed to across the street from Mum and Dad's place at home as she had when we were growing up. And to her credit, Vancouver had incredible shopping. I'd taken a walk down Robson the afternoon I'd arrived and found the perfect replacement dress. It was halter style, with a contrast band under the bust and a flowy A-line skirt that was to the floor. It was made of some slinky fabric that hugged at my good curves and ignored the wiggly flawed bits, and the colours were perfect for a summer affair, hot pink and purple horizontal stripes that initially had gone against everything I believed about clothing, but once the dress was on, I was sold.

I stepped back and took the whole picture in. I'd splurged when I got up and popped into the salon in the hotel and had the wave in my hair tamed into loose, sexy curls. Once I'd told her about how Jack had dumped me because I wanted him to come to the wedding with me, the stylist convinced me to let one of the estheticians do my make-up. She was determined to make me just a hair less stunning that the bride, so I'd score a wedding hook-up.

I was not opposed to the idea. I'd been at odds with myself since Jack had dumped me, and apart from my disastrous Karaoke night out with Erin, I hadn't allowed myself to have any kind of fun yet. I was finished grieving my relationship, I was at home in my favourite city on the planet, and I was totally going to pull at my cousin's wedding. Her NHL fiancé had a crapload of gorgeous friends, and when I'd covertly checked out their stats on the team website, most of them even had all their teeth.

I looked damn fucking good. Too good for Jack, and good enough for whatever hockey player caught my eye. I was ready to take this wedding by storm. I met Mum at her room and did a showy turn for her.

"You look lovely. Much better choice, and it's just casual enough you won't risk upstaging Lizzie," Mum nodded and looked me over. "Such a shame your fellow turned out to be such a dud."

"I feel confident in saying I am finally over that, Mum." We headed down to the street to catch a cab to the ceremony. It was the perfect sunny summer day in Vancouver. It was warm, and there was a gentle breeze coming off the inlet that kept the sun from feeling too hot. The park was a riot of flower blossoms. Even the trees were dripping late spring blooms. The perfumed fragrance of the air added to my list of reasons why I was pleased to have come, even as the pathetic singleton cousin. It was Mum's first family affair since Dad died, and even with the dread of being newly single haunting me, I couldn't leave her to face a big family gathering on her own.

The ceremony was short. Lizzie was stunning, and her fiancé, Ryan, shed tears as she walked down the aisle. He was big and broad through the shoulders, and rugged. Everything a beer commercial made you think a man should be. And he wept when he saw my little cousin in her beautiful white dress, train trailing down the grass as she walked toward him. It was like the happy ending of a Disney movie, it was so perfect. I felt the sting of tears at the corners of my eyes and thought that maybe I wasn't completely over Jack. Mum squeezed my hand, as though she could read my mind.

"I've always cried at weddings, and your father was the love of my life. You aren't crying over Jack, Annie." It was exactly the right words, at precisely the right moment. Ryan kissed Lizzie and his best man whooped a huge cheer, bringing the rest of the guests to their feet with laughter and applause.

The bar opened at the reception an hour later, and I thanked Ryan's freshly renegotiated contract for the open bar. I brought Mum and Gin and Tonic and then made my way over to the cluster of cousins that was grouped at the edge of the bar. Kyla, Lizzie's sister, threw her arms around me.

"Annie-bananie! I am so glad you are here! Mama was worried you wouldn't come after that business with your ex. You look amazing. And so very over him!" She was effusive. I ordered a drink and smiled, willing the flush out of my cheeks. My family all knew I'd been dumped over this wedding; I didn't need to be embarrassed. But I was. I wasn't embarrassed I'd been dumped though. I was embarrassed I'd shown such bad judgment that I'd been with Jack for a year before realizing he was the kind of guy to dump me over a wedding.

"Good lord, Kyla, you're a grown-up!" I exclaimed. She was taller than I remembered. The glasses had been replaced by contacts and she'd filled out from the stick figure teen she'd been into something very distinctly curvy. She winked and grabbed her boobs.

"I've almost caught up to you!" She teased. "I've got the Smith curves too." The hourglass shape my mother and aunt were notorious for hadn't missed a single one of us. I was the only blonde in the mix, something I'd pulled from my Dad's side. I turned to check out the other guests, and Kyla followed suit. Apparently she was on the prowl too. I caught the eye of the best man and smiled, then turned back to the bar for a refill.

"Kyla, the best man. What's his story?"

"That's Fraser Warner. He's the second string goalie. Total lady-killer, terminally single," she provided. I smiled at her and looked back at him. He had the same ridiculously broad shoulders that Ryan had. They were so broad I had to wonder if he didn't have his shoulder pads on under his tux. His waist was narrow and his butt was exquisite. You could probably bounce a quarter off it. And goalies were flexible. Target acquired. I made eye contact with him again and smiled slowly. He didn't waste any time in heading in my direction.

"I'm Fraser. Best Man. And you are?" He was even more handsome up close.

"Anna. Cousin of the bride."

"Are you the American cousin?" His smile got broader. I laughed, and chose not to be embarrassed that he knew who I was.

"I'm not American. I work in DC," I offered. "Apparently my reputation precedes me."

"Elizabeth was worried you weren't going to come. She asked me to keep an eye out for you," he grinned.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I wasn't as amused anymore. He looked a little puzzled.

"I don't follow."

"Young guy like you, you could probably have any of the girls here. And you got stuck as the pity flirt for the bride's spinster cousin," I filled in. Lizzie had always been able to needle me in exactly the right way to make me feel like I was less than she was. And she'd managed to figure out how to do it and seem like she was being thoughtful this time.

"You guys are the same age. I'd hardly qualify you as a spinster, Anna. And I really don't mind. Particularly now that I've had a chance to take a good look at you," he shrugged. "You're a lot hotter than Elizabeth let on."

I wanted to scream. And throw my drink in his face. And kick him in the junk and then proceed over to Lizzie to tear her hair out. So I guess I wasn't exactly ready to be out on the prowl. I gritted my teeth and smiled vacantly up at Fraser. It was a shame I was just a favour he was doing to my cousin because it completely ruined it for me. And I still had to make it through the whole reception, not just the bloody cocktail hour. Fraser took my smile as an invitation, and ran a hand down my arm. His touch was light and under normal circumstances, I would have found it a turn on. He squeezed my fingers and then ran his hand across my ass. He leaned down, his lips brushing my ear.

"We could get out of here. The reception is still about an hour away," he suggested. I smiled and leaned away, suddenly feeling really dirty.

"I don't think that's a great idea, Fraser." I glanced across the room, looking for my mother. I was totally going to use her as an excuse to get away from this uncomfortable situation. I found her just as I saw her leaving the room. She was probably going to take a nap. I looked over to Kyla and saw her deeply engrossed in a conversation with one of the other groomsmen.

"Let me get you another drink, baby," he purred into my ear. I felt a tiny shudder of revulsion. As soon as he stepped back toward the bar, I wiggled my way out of the crowd of people near me and headed toward the doors. There were tables set up between the bar and the door, and there were groups of people sitting enjoying themselves, away from the crush of the open bar. I slowed my hasty departure as I wound my way through the tables. I had just reached the far side of the tables when a hand dropped onto my shoulder.

"Good plan, honey. Let's sit and talk, away from the crowd," Fraser's strong grip steered me to the nearest table. He pulled out a chair for me. I probably should have felt threatened, but I didn't. I knew that his career was far too important for him to risk doing anything that I could say was the use of force, so other than the awkward let down I was going to be forced to give, I wasn't actually concerned. I took the offered drink and took a sip. Cheap rye. Ick.

"So Fraser, tell me. How long have you been playing professional hockey?" I decided the best way to let him down was to turn the conversation away from innuendo and toward idle small talk.

"Six years now."

"Always for Vancouver?"

"No, I was playing on the farm for a couple years. I got called up two years ago, and have been here since. I like Vancouver. The girls are pretty, the winters are mild." He ran his hand up my arm again and I had to resist the urge to break his fingers. I had closed my posture, and was no longer acting interested.

"And it's a good team to play for?"

"Sure," he nodded. "Are you sure I can't show you to my room? I really wasn't expecting you to be so beautiful." His hand moved to my thigh.

"I –" I stumbled over my words. "I'm flattered, Fraser –"

"Anna! I've been looking for you. My flight just got in about forty minutes ago, I'm so sorry I'm late." A pair of lips dropped to my cheek and I looked up, stunned. Agent Coulson was standing there, looking better than I have ever seen him looking. His suit was pressed and fit him perfectly. His tie somehow had exactly the right shade of purple in it to match my dress. I tried to mask my confusion and stood up.

"Phil?" I wasn't sure if it came out as a question because I was so surprised to see him or because I wasn't sure if that actually was his first name, he'd been Agent Coulson for the entire two years I'd been at SHIELD. He kissed my cheek again, and slipped an arm around my waist, effectively cutting Fraser off from me. He held his hand out to introduce himself. Fraser stood and shook it.

"Hi, I'm Phil Coulson. Anna and I," he paused and gave a knowing look to Fraser, "we know each other from work. I hadn't been to Vancouver before so as soon as Anna asked if I wanted to join her, I jumped at the chance."

"Sure, yeah," Fraser nodded. "It was super nice to meet you, Anna. I'll let you catch up with your date."

Fraser walked back toward the bar, and I felt myself flushing with embarrassment and a little bit of anger. It figured that a big fucking caveman like Fraser would only back down if another man laid claim to me. And Coulson had absolutely laid claim to me. I turned to face him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded. He grinned, unrepentantly.

"Winning a bet," he laughed.

"Against whom?" I demanded.

"I bet you a hundred bucks you wouldn't remember inviting me to this wedding as your date. There's an ATM in the lobby if you need to get some cash," he teased. I shook my head.

"Karaoke night?" I asked. He nodded. "I'll pay you later. In the meantime, you'd better be the perfect fucking date, Coulson."

"Oh, this is more than a wedding date. You promised hiking, a picnic at the beach and run along the seawall," he laughed. His laugh was warm and it didn't make me feel like an idiot.

"I don't run. I wouldn't have promised you a run on the seawall." I felt a little dizzy and sat back down.

"You were very drunk. And very insistent." His eyes danced with amusement. They were actually really nice eyes.

"I'm flying home tomorrow afternoon. I don't have time for hikes and picnics, let alone running the damn seawall," I complained. He put his hand on my arm and gave a light squeeze of reassurance.

"Raincheck then. In the meantime, I will be the perfect date. Right now that means making sure that your catty cousins see you leaving with me for a quickie before the reception starts." He slid his arm around my waist and led me toward the elevator.

"Wait, a what?" I turned to face him once the elevator doors closed. He pushed the number for my floor and turned to grin at me again. His eyes crinkled around the edges and I was a little lost. I'd always had a thing for the slightly older guy. I would guess Coulson was in his late thirties, compared to my twenty-five. He had clearly defined smile lines and coupled with the strong jaw, I was a little melty.

"A quickie." His gaze roved up and down my body and I almost felt naked.

"Oh, I know I didn't promise that!" I exclaimed. Coulson started to laugh and shook his head.

"So not only are you losing a hundred bucks for your drunken bet, but I think this should be a lesson to you about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption," he teased. I flushed and looked at the floor.

"You're kind of a dick, Coulson," I muttered, but there was no anger to my words.

"Ms. Ellis, look at me," he demanded. I looked up, and he put his hand on my cheek. "You were a mess that night. It was my honour to escort you home because I don't know if you could have made good choices on your own. But I'm not such an idiot that when I pretty girl asks me on a date I'll say no. Even when it's against my better judgment."

"But you knew I wouldn't remember." I leaned my cheek against his hand. We were being highly unprofessional.

"You needed the reassurance," he smiled again. I led him down the hall to my room and opened the door. I wanted him to touch me again, but I honestly didn't trust myself to allow it. I sat on the chair and crossed my legs, closing my posture up. Coulson noticed, and sat on the edge of the bed, facing me, his fingers interlaced and braced between his knees.

"Ground rules, Coulson," I demanded.

"I will be attentive, and make sure your drink is full, without allowing you to drink too much. I will dance with you. I will play up the crowd if you catch the bouquet, and even though I think it's ridiculous, I will participate in the garter toss. No one will ever suspect we aren't in a relationship," he offered.

"Okay. And all I owe you is the hundred bucks from losing this bet?" I clarified.

"Yes."

XXX

The reception went off without a hitch. The dinner was good, Coulson was as attentive as he'd promised. My mother loved him, although she did point out that he was a little old when he was up at the bar getting drinks. Lizzie found me and threw her arms around me.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd already snagged another guy? He's cute. A little old, but cute," she kissed my cheeks loudly.

"It a fairly recent development," I lied. Coulson handed me my drink. Lizzie took the opportunity to fling her arms around him as well. She was a bit drunk.

"You promise me that you'll treat my cousin better than the last schmuck!" She pointed her finger in his face and swayed a little.

"Promise."

"Good! I'm going to toss my bouquet now! Come on, Annie-bananie!" She grabbed my arm and hauled me up to the dance floor where the other girls were starting to congregate. Fraser helped her up onto a chair and she turned her back to us and threw the bouquet up in the air. I wasn't even trying to catch it. It fell right into my hands. I glanced back at Phil apologetically. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. He stepped forward into the crowd of guys to await the garter toss, and closed his eyes when it was tossed. He reached up and the garter caught on his finger. Lizzie shrieked.

"Oh my god, how perfect! That's my cousin's boyfriend!" She squealed. "Kiss her, Phil!" She ran over to Coulson and started pushing him toward me. I panicked and tried to back away, but once they got close enough, Phil placed a hand on my arm and looked at me. It was so serious a look I stopped.

"I promised I would be the perfect date," he warned. Lizzie was jumping up and down screeching for us to kiss. I sighed and nodded. He cupped my face in his hands and leaned forward to kiss me quickly. He pulled away almost before it started.

"I said kiss her, Phil!" Lizzie demanded. I bit my lip and mouthed "I'm sorry" to him. He shook his head and leaned forward again. This time, when his lips met mine, they met slowly. His tongue traced my bottom lip tentatively, and a jolt of lust hit me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. One of his hands slid from my face to my shoulder, then he pulled me hard against his chest. I could hear the crowd screaming and cheering but it was background noise, like we were in a different room. He suddenly broke the kiss.

"That's more like it!" Lizzie clapped us both on the back. I tried to catch my breath, wilted bouquet in one hand, and looked at Coulson, who looked as surprised as I was. A silence fell across the dance floor, almost as if everyone was waiting for us to kiss again. Coulson's phone suddenly rang, breaking the trance. He answered it and walked off the dance floor, listening to what was being said. I followed him to the edge of the room, and waited for him to get off the call.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Ellis, I have to go," he offered. I nodded. He stepped close and pulled me into an embrace. I wasn't sure that anyone was watching us any longer, so I wasn't sure he needed to. He pressed his lips against my forehead and when he pulled out of the hug, I looked up, unsure of how to proceed.

"Uh, thanks?" I hoped I didn't sound like an idiot. I felt like one. I felt like I wanted to kiss him again. He pulled me back again and kissed me one more time, hard and forceful, like he wanted to kiss me, not just because he was doing undercover work. My hand flew up to my mouth when we broke apart.

"I'll see you soon, Ms. Ellis." He turned and left the ballroom.


End file.
